Sing me to Sleep
by Polkadotdotdot
Summary: After the Enterprise D has crash landed and the remaining crew have been collected by the USS Farragut, Will Riker is having an issue finding Deanna Troi. Single chapter piece. Imzadi.


*Set just after the end of "Generations" after the crew have been picked up by the USS Farragut.*

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the main characters from the Star Trek universe. I am not making any profits from any of my fiction.

* * *

The first thing Deanna noticed about the USS Farragut was that it was tiny in comparison to the Enterprise. Although the bridge was just about the same size, there were not half as many decks which meant trying to fit the remaining crew of the Enterprise on board, along with the Farrugut's crew was a tight squeeze.

Her head was pounding but she managed a strained smile as an ensign welcomed her on board.

"Welcome to the USS Farragut Commander," The young man said and it took Deanna a moment to realise he was talking to her. She was hardly ever referred to as her rank, she was far more used to Councillor. "We apologise for the tight conditions but we have emergency accommodation set up for your crew in our shuttle bays and cargo holds," Deanna nodded absently. It seemed that her blissful thoughts of a hot shower and a soft bed would have to wait.

"Thank you ensign," She muttered quietly, still in a slight daze. Her uniform was a complete mess after their not so graceful crash landing and she had flattened down her tangled wavy hair as best she could. Despite their situation, she was a senior officer and she needed to maintain standards and set an example for the remainder of her crew.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Deanna suddenly realised that her appointment book would possibly be very full as her shipmates required guidance through the grieving process of losing those they had worked and lived alongside for such a long time. The Enterprise was more than just a ship, it was a home and they were all a family. She sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. She hadn't slept in over twenty five hours.

"Councillor Troy, are you in need of assistance?" A familiar formal voice asked next to her. She opened her eyes to see Data standing next to her, Spot his cat still cradled in his arms. She forced another smile.

"No Data, I'm alright," She insisted, "Just the adrenaline wearing off I think," As well as the lack of sleep and the emotional turmoil of hundreds of people, she thought to herself. It was true, she was so tired that she had no way to prevent the melting pot of feelings that constantly bombarded her head. It was making her sick.

"Might I recommend you see a member of the medical staff to see to your head wound," Data said as they made their way through the busy cargo hold. Deanna frowned, head wound? Slowly she lifted her hand to her forehead and winced at the tender area that was marred by bruising and a large gash that had dripped blood down her forehead.

"I didn't even realise that I was bleeding..." She said quietly. Data nodded.

"I believe you struck your head upon impact of our crash. I did my best to prevent the collision but I could not reach you in time," He said with some regret. Deanna smiled at her friend.

"Not to worry Data," She sighed, "I'll go and see a nurse when I can,"

She knew it was a lie and although she had felt guilty when her friend had only her interests in mind, she was much to tired to wait to be seen by a doctor. Her injury was not as serious as some of her other shipmates and it was better they were seen to first. All Deanna wanted to do was find a quiet place she could curl up in a ball and sleep off the past events.

* * *

Will frowned, rubbing his hand over his beard with a sigh. Slowly but surely all the adrenaline that had built up since the attack on the Enterprise was starting to leave his system and leaving behind nothing but a very tired, very sore body.

He had been lucky in the crash. Thrown forward but nothing seemed to be broken or more than just superficial marks. He knew that many others had not been so lucky. Since they had landed, Will had seemed in complete control and his officers acted the way he expected, with complete professionalism. Each of them, after checking they were alright, had sprung to action listening to his orders and following them. The names of the dead needed checked off, essential information taken away from the wreck, supplies and medical equipment moved and an emergency sickbay set up for those that needed help that couldn't wait. He was proud of all of them.

Finally they had been collected by the USS Farragut and for the moment he was no longer in charge, he could rest for a moment, but there was only one thing on his mind.

Where was Deanna?

During the chaos of their landing, while trying to remain strong for his crew, he had seen her thrown forward on impact. Data had launched himself forward in an attempt to catch the woman but he was not fast enough and her head made solid impact with the front of the ship. Will could have sworn that his heart had stopped beating as she had lain there, unmoving, for what seemed like an eternity until he heard her quiet voice tell Data that she was alright. Only then did he allow himself to take a breath.

When he had checked on her during their hasty salvage job while they prepared for pick up, she had simply smiled at him the way she always did and brushed his question off.

"Really Commander, I'm fine," She had said, "You have more important things to worry about than me!" Will snorted to himself at the thought, to him, even if she didn't know it, there was nothing nor anybody more important than her.

The Cargo hold and shuttle bay belonging to the Farragut had been packed to the brim, the medical teams using the shuttles as make shift treatment areas since the Farragut's sickbay was already full to capacity and only saved for those with life threatening injuries. He offered a tired smile to members of the crew who caught his eye, wanting to offer whatever kind of morale he could after such an experience but his eyes continued to scan the area for the familiar brunette but had no luck. Suddenly he spotted someone he did recognise.

"Gordie, have you seen Deanna?" Will asked walking over to his chief engineer, who looked the way Will felt. Gordie shook his head.

"Not for a while Commander," He answered, "She had passed through this way but she mentioned something about it being too loud in here and she needed to go somewhere quiet," Will frowned. It was hardly quiet but it wasn't so loud that it was unbearable and then it hit him. With all that had happened the Empath would have been drowning in the feelings of others. It was no wonder she had wanted to be alone.

"Did she mention where she was going?" Will asked with a sigh and once again Gordie shook his head.

"Sorry Commander, she didn't," He replied, "But I hope she got that head wound looked at. Seemed pretty nasty, Data seemed to think she had a concussion when I spoke to him," Will nodded, a pang of dread hitting him in the gut.

"Alright, thank you Lieutenant,"

* * *

The crew of the Enterprise had spilled out through most of the lower decks of the ship, bursting into the hallways and social areas of the ship. It didn't surprise Deanna, after all the Enterprise D had been home to over a thousand people including spouses and children. Even with the loses they had sustained, the remaining passengers were substantial. They were grateful that the Farragut had even picked them up in the first place instead of insisting they waited for a larger ship.

The moment she had entered the cargo hold she had been hit with a wall of emotions like nothing she had ever felt before. It practically knocked the air from her lungs and she struggled to take in a deep breath. Fear, grief, loss, hope, relief and even envy all mixed together in her head and she could practically hear the thoughts of the crew, it was so strong. She knew there was no way she could have rested in that room so Deanna had taken the kit she had been issued and left to find somewhere she could be at peace.

She had slowly wandered through the halls, stepping over people who had seemingly just given up and decided to curl up in the hallways. She couldn't blame them. Between the pain in her head, the dizziness she was experiencing and the constant barrage of emotions she was feeling, she almost felt like joining them.

She missed Will. Everything was so much calmer when he was near her. Deanna wasn't sure if it was because of their bond or if it was just because he always had such a calm mind but when he was near her then her barriers were strong. She was safe. Now she was alone and although she hadn't wanted to admit it, she was a little scared.

"Maybe Data was right," She muttered to herself, feeling the dried blood on her face, "Maybe I should have got this seen to,"

Deanna approached a door and sensing there was nobody inside she allowed them to open to show the Starboard observation lounge. The room was fairly plain, a console in front of a huge observation window that showed all the stars as they sped past. She smiled. There was nothing soft to lay down on but it was quiet and that was what mattered.

"Computer, dim lights to five percent," She said and the lightning faded until she could just see and no more. On unsteady feet, Deanna wandered over to the console and fell to her knees in front of it and opened her kit that she had been handed. Two blankets, a ration pack and a basic medical kit. She folded one of the blankets into a small square and placed it down on the floor to lay her aching head on before wrapping herself up in the other blanket. No matter how tightly she wrapped the fleece around herself, she still shivered in the cold of the room but never the less, in the darkness of the abandoned observation deck, Deanna Troi soon drifted off into blissful sleep.

* * *

It had been hours since the Farragut had left the planets surface. Every member of the Enterprise was on board. Will knew that Deanna had been with them, she had been in charge of making sure all the children were accounted for and Data and Geordie had both seen her.

"This is not a big ship, she couldn't have gone far," Will said to himself quietly. She hadn't turned up in the cargo hold nor the shuttle bay. To his relief she wasn't with the intensive care patients in the sick bay. It was as if she had simply vanished.

"Riker to Troi," he said hitting his com-badge. A light crackled but no response was heard. He sighed and tried again. Nothing.

"Come on Imdazi, I just want to know you're okay," He thought, his chest aching. The thing that had worried him the most was that their bond was so faint. Normally, even when she was far away from him, it remained so strong. He knew exactly how she was feeling at all times, when it was strong enough he could even hear her thoughts and her his. Now he could barely feel her presence and it frightened him. It left a hollow feeling in his chest that she had filled all those years ago when they first met.

Will found himself in a corridor on the lower decks, some members of his crew sitting in the halls.

"Excuse me Ensign, have you seen Councillor Troi come this way?" He asked bending down to a tired looking engineer. The woman nodded and he noticed she had a nasty bruise forming on her cheek.

"Yes Sir, She went into that room over there," She answered. For the first time in what felt like years, Will gave a genuine smile and stood up to make his way to where he hoped he would find Deanna.

The doors opened with a light 'whoosh' and there in front of him in the dull lights of the observation deck lay Deanna Troi, a blanket wrapped tightly around her small frame. He smiled in relief that he had finally found her but his smile soon disappeared when he noticed her face was still covered in blood. The area around the cut was clearly swollen from the impact and had begun to turn a spectrum of colours.

Gently he knelt next to the woman who shivered in her sleep. It was no surprise, Will thought, the observation deck was freezing.

"Deanna?" He whispered quietly, shaking her arm lightly. When she didn't respond he asked a little louder. She groaned in her sleeping attempting to shrug off the intrusion.

"go'way" She sighed trying to pull the blanket further around herself. Will smiled lightly and shook her again.

"Come on sleeping beauty, let me look at you," He said gently and slowly Deanna's eyes opened. He almost regretted waking the exhausted woman but if she had the concussion he feared she did, then he had to be sure she wasn't about to slip into some kind of coma.

"Deanna, what are you doing in here?" He asked, gently running his hand over her hair. She frowned in confusion.

"I was sleeping," She said simply and he laughed despite himself. It was the most basic answer he could have expected.

"No, I mean why have you not been to see a doctor for your head?" He said, his face turning serious. Deanna at least at the good grace to look sheepish.

"There are people who are in a worse state than me," She said lightly, slowly pushing herself so she was sitting up. Will frowned.

"Deanna, a head wound is a serious thing," He scolded, "And you're still covered in blood. Why didn't you come and find me?" Deanna locked eyes with him for the first time since he had woken her and she suddenly felt overcome by all the emotions she found there. It was as if someone had taken the bond they shared and had jumped it with a thousand volts. Worry for her well being, fear for their crew, guilt from not being able to spend any time with her until now but most of all love. True, unconditional love. Deanna sighed, unable to put up any kind of protest when Will broke open the medical kit and began to wipe the blood from her face.

"You were busy Will," She said quietly, trying not to wince at the sting in her head, "If you hadn't noticed, you had slightly more pressing matters at hand than me," She at least managed a weak smile that did nothing to make Will feel better.

"Deanna," He said quietly, putting the blood soaked wipe aside and holding her face gently in his hands, "There is nobody more important than you in my life. I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner," She smiled, enjoying the feeling of his warm hands on her cold skin.

"Everyone has been so loud Will, I needed to get away from it," She said, her voice breaking in small sobs as she finally allowed herself to let go of all the fear and anxiety she had been hiding. Slowly he wrapped her in his arms, leaning back against the console, her head in the crook of his neck while she shook with her sobs. It pained him that he hadn't been there for her, once again having to choose duty over love.

"Shh I'm here now," He said quietly, pressing a kiss to her hair, "You don't need to be strong with me Imzadi, I'll be strong enough for the both of us,"

Deanna wasn't sure if it was hearing him say such a precious word or if she was simply too exhausted to pay attention to the sensible part of her mind as it protested her actions. She pulled back to look at his face that held such a calm, easy smile but his eyes were full of nothing but love and devotion.

Without a second thought she closed the gap between them, pressing her lips against his and feeling the great swell of emotion that emanated from him, his beard gently tickling her face. The kiss was gentle, reassuring that he was there. That he wasn't going anywhere and he was staying by her side. He slowly pulled away from her, the same smile on his face as he brushed her hair away from he cheek.

"I love you," He whispered. She smiled at him and snuggled back into his arms.

"And I love you," She said, "Can you tell me that again when I wake up? Just in case I don't remember this what with the bump on the head..." Will laughed, his voice resonating in his chest and against her ear.

"You can count on it,"

* * *

"It's not a big ship," Jean Luc exclaimed, walking alongside data, "The computer said that Commander Riker was in the Observation deck so it has to be along here somewhere," He said exasperated.

He needed to debrief his senior staff quickly before they docked on Deep Space four but when Jean Luc had gone to find his staff they were scattered. Lack of sleep and the annoyance of being on a ship he was unfamiliar with was driving him to the end of his last nerve.

"Sir, I believe I have located Commander Riker and Councillor Troi," Data said standing in the doorway of the Starboard observation deck.

There, propped up against the console sat Will with Deanna wrapped safely in his arms, her head leaning on his neck and his head leaning on her hair, a blanket draped over them and both seemingly in blissful sleep. Jean Luc smiled at the sight.

"Should I wake them sir?" Data asked. Jean Luc shook his head.

"Not this time Data," He said with a smile, his mood lifting, "There are some things in this universe that are best left undisturbed,"


End file.
